‘CAPE TOWN ARTIST HOME IN THE CITY’
Filmmaker-photographer Sydelle Willow Smith and her husband Rowan Pybus let their house when they travel
How did you get into hosting on Airbnb and why did you decide to do it?
My husband and I run Sunshine Cinema, a film-production company and a solar cinema, so we are often away on long shoots. We felt it was a good option for us to be able to pay off our bond and complete renovations.
How long have you been doing it?
On and off for two years.
Tell us a bit about the property. What do you think makes it stand out from other listings?
We live very close to the Company Gardens in Cape Town and the property has a small garden and off-street parking, which is quite rare for area.
What do you like about hosting?
Gives you a chance to meet new people, make some extra income and provide a unique experience — we mostly use Airbnb when travelling in countries that offer it, so it’s great to be able to also offer the service.
Anything you dislike about hosting?
Sometimes it’s tricky that we live in the house and getting the dates right can be complicated.
Describe the most interesting/oddest guest you’ve ever had
All the guests have been great so far — my strangest experience of Airbnb was actually as a renter, when I travelled to Bilbao, Spain, with my mother. The apartment was very hot and we wanted a fan but the owner kept trying to persuade me that it was not hot.
If you could choose anyone in the world to come and stay at your place, who would it be and why?
Charlie Brooker, the creator of the Black Mirror TV series would be top of the list. That show is pure genius and the storylines are eerily plausible. It really makes you think about society’s relationship to technologies in new ways and it would be kind of great to pick his brain over muesli in the morning.
However, as that’s not what Airbnb is about, I would go with any well-travelled conversationalist.
Do you ever feel weird about having strangers stay in your house when you are away?
Because of the Airbnb system of being able to read previous hosts’ reviews about guests before they stay, I don’t.
What’s your top tip for new Airbnb hosts?
Make sure you don’t leave too many of your personal items around — like clothes and stuff — so people can feel like they can make the space theirs for the time they are renting.
Since we let our place when we are away on long shoots, we deal with this by putting our stuff in storage.
Also, make sure you write up a list of dos and don’ts and offer some tips based on your local knowledge of top visiting spots.
It’s always nice to provide some complimentary coffee or wine for the guest to welcome them. Airbnb is always about making the person feel like they are at home, while travelling — that’s the beauty of it. It is so much more personal than a hotel.